Current News

Leonine Public Affairs The Vermont General Assembly wrapped up the 2019 legislative session on May 29, when the Senate approved an adjournment resolution to reconvene on January 7, 2020. The House approved the same resolution on May 24, making 2019 the first time in the modern era both legislative chambers failed to adjourn on the same day. The disjointed adjournment caps the bizarre final chapter of a legislative session that was for the most part lacking in political drama and intrigue.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Army National Guard will be downloading rail cars in Burlington as equipment returns from our Joint Readiness Training Center Rotation in Fort Polk, LA. Rail operations will take place at the Burlington Rail Yard from June 5 to possibly June 8. There will be a higher impact on traffic than our previous rail operation as small convoys will be moving from the Burlington Rail Yard to Camp Johnson during the day.

“We are happy to have everyone home, but we must remain diligent to get all our equipment back to its proper location and in a high state of readiness,” said Colonel Nathan Lord, commander, 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (MTN). “One last effort and we can officially close out JRTC rotation 19-07 as a resounding success.”

Vermont Business Magazine Four Vermont community organizations will work with artists to animate their environment with public art. Each received a grant through the Animating Infrastructure program, which encourages collaborative partnerships between communities and artists to integrate public art into existing or proposed infrastructure improvement projects. A key goal of the program is to foster unique, inspiring, and attractive landmark communities throughout Vermont.

“Animating Infrastructure projects recognize that art and creativity are woven into the fiber of our communities,” said Vermont Arts Council Executive Director Karen Mittelman. “A village green, a railroad bridge, a hiking trail, or a waterway can become a setting for vibrant public art that connects us to our neighbors. We are proud to support four innovative projects that reimagine public spaces by infusing art into physical infrastructure.”

Vermont Business Magazine Following a significant landslide on Friday, May 31 a portion of the Cotton Brook Road and the entirety of the Fosters Trail in Mt. Mansfield State Forest in Waterbury have been closed until further notice.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger announced last Friday that Executive Director of the Church Street Marketplace Ron Redmond is stepping down from his position, after more than 20 years of service to the city. Redmond’s innovative tenure included helping to launch the Street Outreach Program and create the downtown’s community policing program, building a robust marketing and market research program, and sustained economic health and vibrancy through stabilizing the department’s operating budget. 

“For over thirty years, the Church Street Marketplace has been one of the Northeast’s great urban places,” said Mayor Weinberger. “For more than half of that history, the Marketplace has been run with skill and good will by Ron Redmond. I am grateful for Ron’s service to the City and the Church Street Marketplace, helping to grow and strengthen the Marketplace as a downtown destination for residents and visitors.”

Vermont Business Magazine Calling out three pieces of tobacco and e-cigarette prevention legislation recently signed into law by Governor Phil Scott as “significant,” Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD applauded their passage and predicted the bills will mark a “major public health impact for generations to come.” Chief among the legislation is S.86, also known as Tobacco 21. The new law protects Vermont’s youth from starting and using tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, by raising the minimum age to purchase the products from 18 to 21. The measure is complemented by H.26, which prohibits anyone from selling e-cigarettes, liquid containing nicotine, or other tobacco substitutes without a Vermont seller license − effectively prohibiting the online sales of such products.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) issued an updated per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) sampling plan today. The newly-released plan outlines how ANR will identify and characterize PFAS contamination in soil, groundwater and surface waters like lakes and rivers. Members of the public can submit comments by June 18.

Vermont Business Magazine It’s never too early to start saving for college. VSAC and Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems are delighted once again to partner on this exciting annual event to raise awareness of the value of planning and saving for college – even on day-one. This year, 18 babies born at Vermont hospitals on May 29 will each receive $100 in a 529 college savings account from Vermont Student Assistance Corp.

by John McClaughry The 2019 legislative session is now history, and it’s worth taking stock of its accomplishments, both positive and negative. On the plus side, the FY2020 general fund budget is balanced (up 3.1%), that is, it’s balanced if the $55 million FY2019 surplus projected last January actually shows up. The main reason for the surplus is the economic boom produced by the 2017 tax bill enacted by a Republican President and Congress. Naturally, the Democrats in Montpelier aren’t eager to make that point, but they’re very happy to spend the money.

The new money allowed the legislature to dedicate 6% of the 9% rooms and meals tax to fund the EPA-required Lake Champlain cleanup. That leaves a $9 million hole in the General Fund next year, to be filled by the newfound surplus money without raising any tax rates. Whether this scheme will reliably fill $12 million holes in following years may prove to be a troublesome question.

Vermont Business Magazine When breast cancer survivors were screened using breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they had more than twice as many biopsies as did those screened using mammography alone and had more breast cancers detected, according to new research published in the journal Radiology. However, the extra screening is not necessarily an improvement over what would have been detected in usual care with mammography, said the authors. In fact, there were no differences between surveillance MRI and mammography in the ability to distinguish breast cancer from other findings (sensitivity) or to rule cancer out (specificity), they explained. Co-authors included Brian L Sprague, PhD, of the University of Vermont and Tracy Onega, PhD, of Dartmouth Medical School, in Hanover.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Violins has recently been approved for a workforce training grant totaling $11,349 from the Vermont Training Program (VTP). Vermont Violins is expanding in-house production capabilities to include high-quality face plates and scrolls that are currently purchased offshore. To meet new production needs, five incumbent and one new hire will be trained on upgraded equipment to allow for this transition. The grant funds will help pay for training in the CAD/CAM design software, instrument set-up and tone adjustment needed for new equipment, as well as support social media marketing plan efforts.